2017 Guelph Science Olympics Event Descriptions
Below are descriptions of events for the 2017 Guelph Science Olympics. Some events are still under
construction so descriptions will be updated when available. Please note that many of events use the same
format as prior years but update the content.
Please remember that schools can register for a maximum of 10 events at the junior level and 10 at the senior
level and that only 1 team per school can be registered in any event even if there are multiple time slots for
that event.
Teachers
TBA
Math
Gryphon Gladiatorial Mathematics
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 25 teams of up to 4 students per time period
Students will work in teams of four to answer a series of math problems. The devil, however, is in the details! The
problems will increase in difficulty, and students will only have a minute or less to answer each problem – so they
will have to puzzle things out quickly! The group who gets the most correct answers will win, but in the case of a
tie, the team to submit their answers fastest will be the victors.
Betray or Cooperate? What will you do?
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 6 teams of up to 4 students
What is your ideal rock-paper-scissors strategy? Always go rock? Try to predict what your opponent will do? Close
your eyes and randomly choose and hope for the best?
Even though it is a simple game, there is a surprising amount of complexity in rock-paper-scissors strategy. People
use the concept of game theory to predict how people will behave in real-world scenarios in areas such as
economics, political science, biology, auctions, traffic flow, or many more.
In this activity, your team will have the chance to design strategies to compete against other teams as you play
games such as the famous Prisoner's Dilemma. How will you predict the behaviour of the other teams and design
an effective strategy that can triumph against everything and anything they throw at you?
Engineering
Sorry to Burst Your Bubble
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 8 teams of up to 4 students
Students must build the strongest structure to keep the Bubblegum Troll trapped inside its cage.
Please note that this event is 1 hour and 45 minutes in duration.
Nanoscience
Senior Nanoscience Event
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 6 teams of up to 4 students
Event under construction.
Senior Nanoscience Event
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Limits: 6 teams of up to 4 students
Event under construction.
Chemistry
Chemical Conundrums
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Limits: 18 teams of up to 4 students
The grade 9 and 10 chemistry component of the University of Guelph Science Olympics will be comprised of short
challenges in which teams will work together to solve word puzzles and scrambles, and have fun competing in
‘Chemistry Taboo’. Challenges will focus on the elements of the periodic table, common chemistry terminology,
and on other major chemistry concepts introduced in the grade 9/10 science classes. Content is updated each year.
Chemistry Challenges
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 6 teams of up to 4 students per time period
The grade 11 and 12 chemistry component of the University of Guelph Science Olympics will be comprised of short
experiments teams must work together to complete quickly and accurately. Challenges will reflect current events in
chemistry, such as environmental chemistry issues. These experiments will require practical knowledge of common
chemistry lab equipment, protocols, and compounds including acids, bases and solvents. Content is updated each
year.
Notice to participants in the senior chemistry event
All participants must wear long pants and shoes that fully cover the foot. This is for safety reasons and students who
are not properly dressed will not be allowed to compete in this event.
Computing
Lightbot
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Solve puzzles using programming logic! Learn to program in a fun way by solving puzzles in a videogame.
Lightbot offers an exciting way to learn programming concepts without typing or coding. Gain a practical
understanding of basic concepts like instruction sequencing, procedures and loops, just by guiding a robot to light up
tiles and solve levels.
How many levels can you beat?
Biology
BioBlast
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 10 teams of 4 students per time period
Beat the clock while completing challenging biology lab exercises.
Build-A-Bug
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 7 teams of 4 students per time period
Why do we get sick? And how does a bacterium make its way from a cow to our hamburger to our stomach without
being killed? In this Science Olympic event we aim to answer these questions. Students will work in teams through a
series of interactive research stations to learn about how disease is caused and why some diseases are more severe
than others. Using what they have learned students will then construct their very own super bug. The goal is to
creatively design a pathogen that would be the most dangerous and deadly.
Who Wants to be an Anatomist?
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 4 teams of 4 students per time slot
Test your knowledge of anatomy with this hands-on event.
What weed is this?
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 6 teams of up to 4 students per time period
A weed science Jeopardy event.
Healthy Eating on a Budget
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 5 teams of 4 students per time slot
Think you know what foods are healthy and unhealthy? Ever notice how the healthier foods are the more expensive
options? We will discuss important nutrients and how to incorporate them into your diet from the five food groups.
Next, your nutrition knowledge and creativity will be put to the test as each team grocery shops for a balanced meal
on a tight budget. The goal is to reach your calorie and nutrient targets without breaking the bank!
Not a Bird Course!
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 4 teams of 4 students per time slot
Do you have what it takes to be a field biologist? Come and be an ornithologist for the day! Learn your basic field
marks when it comes to birding and see if you can learn to identify some of the common and not-so-common birds
at The Arboretum. We’ll also be discussing and learning about bird songs and calls. It will be challenge, and I’ll
guarantee that it definitely won’t be a bird course!
Please note that this event is 1 hour and 45 minutes in duration.
This event will be held outside in the Arboretum. Please dress for the weather and give yourself time
(approximately 20 minutes) to get to the Arboretum and back.
Body Part Bingo
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 8 teams of up to 4 students per time period
Students will be asked to identify different anatomical structures on and in a wide range of animal displays and
radiographic images. They will also be asked what some structures do (what’s its purpose?). The animal displays
include both small and large animals, as well as some exotic species. No live animals will be used.
Give yourself time (approximately 15 minutes) to get to OVC and back.
Physics
Groovin with the Move
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Limits: 8 teams of up to 4 students
Test the precision of your dynamic motor skills using a motion detector.
Senior Physics event
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 8 teams of up to 4 students
Event is under construction
Geography
The Great Spy Race
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Limits: 8 teams of up to 4 students per time period
Access your inner Spy and use GPS units to find secret information hidden on the University Campus!
Teams of 4 students will compete against one another to use GPS units to find hidden details and mark them on a
map. Students will test their geography skills, practice navigation, and expand their puzzle solving skills. The
fastest, most accurate, and most complete submission will win!
The Great Pirate Race
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 8 teams of up to 4 students per time period
Access your inner Pirate and Orienteer to find where X marks the spot. Find secret information hidden on the
University Campus! Teams of 4 students will compete against one another to use compasses and orienteer following
a course. Students will test their geography skills, practice navigation and orienteering. The fastest, most accurate,
and most complete submission will win!
Other Science
FOOD SCIENCE: Sensory Perception Relay Race
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 5 teams of up to 4 students per time period
Students will complete 3 challenges.
Challenge 1: Fill in the Blank
Students will be provided with information about the senses and sensory evaluation. They will then complete a fill in
the blank challenge.
Challenge 2: Play with your Food!
Taste Test*, What’s That Smell? & What’s Inside the Box?
Challenge 3: Product Development – The Perfect Snack Food
*Taste Test involves students eating jelly beans.
All Things Science Scavenger Hunt
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: No more than 10 students per team (one team per school for junior and senior which is the same for all
events).
It's time to test your science skill! On the Science Olympics Day, each team will get a work sheet along with a
campus map. Your task is to read carefully all instructions and rules and to complete the hunt within the allotted
time. The work sheet will be comprised of tasks and questions related to Science and the University of Guelph. Find
the stations, complete the tasks, collect relevant items, submit your work sheet and collections - and we'll grade your
work.
The Science Timeline: Inventions & Discoveries
Grade Level: Junior 9 and 10
Grade Level: Senior 11 and 12
Limits: 6 teams of up to 4 students per time slot
What happened first: the invention of penicillin, or the splitting of the atom? Test your knowledge of major scientific
discoveries and inventions. Teams will compete against each other and the clock to create a timeline of scientific
events.